This article analyzes agro-pastoral production systems in the mountain and piedmont regions of Morocco. It shows how farming households combine rainfed cultivation, irrigated plots, arboriculture, and livestock herding in order to adapt to ecological constraints such as steep slopes, irregular rainfall, cold winters, and limited arable land. The paper emphasizes the importance of collective water management, terraces, seasonal grazing systems, and local resource regulation in sustaining mountain livelihoods. It also argues that the relative balance between crops and herds varies according to altitude, local traditions, and access to pasture, making these regional systems both highly adaptive and socially organized.
Jean Dresch (Sun,) studied this question.